This month, in celebration of both Earth Hour and Global Recycling Day, North Malé Atoll luxury Maldivian eco-resort Gili Lankanfushi is adding to its stellar environmental credentials with a campaign against single-use plastics. The resort has added a range of new marine conservation initiatives, such as workshops on the Coral Lines project, coral watch dives and a paddle board endurance event.
Global Recycling Day: “Paddle Against Plastic”
In three hours, the seven-person SUP team collected 200 pieces of ocean rubbish (Credit/Gili Lankanfushi)
Kicking off on March 18th, 2018, to coincide with Global Recycling Day, a team of Gili Lankanfushi’s best watermen and women completed a 14 kilometre Stand Up Paddle (SUP) to raise awareness about the overuse of single-use plastic. This “Paddle against Plastic” went around three Maldivian islands, and the team collected waste plastic along the way.
The majority of the haul was plastic, so our message is clear: If we can SUP 14km around our island; you can give up using single-use plastic in 2018.
—Gili Lankanfushi, Underwater World online newsletter
Earth Hour: Conservation activities and workshops
Coral Lines Project: three years and about 7,484 coral colonies (Credit/Gili Lankanfushi)
On March 24th, 2018, the island will celebrate Earth Hour with a day of marine conservation activities. Gili Lankanfushi’s marine biology shack, Gili Veshi, will host a workshop for both local marine biologists and hotel guests, educating visitors on the island’s pioneering Coral Lines project. The project grows coral fragments in mid-water to replenish the local reefs, and monitors, protects and maintains the lines of growing coral.
Later, guests will be invited to Palm Beach to create lantern artwork in the shape of a branching coral. The lanterns will be lit during Earth Hour, when the island is plunged into a peaceful darkness. The open-air Jungle Cinema then invites guests for a late-night screening beneath the stars of the award-winning documentary, Chasing Coral.
Educating guests of all ages
Coral is full of life so be careful when snorkelling (Credit/Gili Lankanfushi)
Throughout the year, Gili Lankanfushi encourages island guests to get involved in its environmental initiatives first hand, through coral watch dives, Crown of Thorns eradication dives, and monthly reef clean efforts to remove oceanic litter. Eco-minded little ones are kept educated and busy with shoreline treasure hunts, marine movies and interactive iPad games.
Coral Lines Project
Launched in 2014, the Coral Lines Project aims to rehabilitate the coral reef through direct transplantation of mature corals onto lengths of rope and through indirect coral spawning. The innovative project has now been adopted by six other Maldivian resorts.
Staying with Gili Lankanfushi
Gili Lankanfushi, on the North Malé Atoll in the Maldives, is an easy 20-minute speedboat transfer from Malé international airport. The luxury eco-resort’s 45 overwater villas offer unrivalled privacy and 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean. Rates start at US $1,440 per night, on a room-only basis, based on double occupancy.
Follow the Gili experience on Facebook or Instagram for envy-worthy tropical paradise photos, or just BOOK NOW to check it out for yourself!
Built using eco-friendly materials to blend into the beautiful landscape (Credit/Gili Lankanfushi)
Written By: Adriane Rysz